1936 Rolls-Royce 25/30

Description

Rare Sedanca de Ville coachwork by Barker, one of only five made; interesting history from new; few owners, the current for 23 years; low mileage; well-maintained and in regular use

Among his many obsessions, Henry Royce had a real concern about the ever-increasing weight of his exquisitely engineered motorcars. The Rolls policy of selling ‘chassis only’ cars meant that the firm had little control over the bodies fitted, leaving the choice of coachbuilder to an increasingly affluent (and ostentatious) client base. It was a constant battle to keep up with the soaring weight of ever-more opulent body styles, a problem only solved through engineering more powerful engines and revised gear ratios.

The delightful and delicate Rolls 20 was succeeded in 1929 by the altogether more robust 20/25 for this very reason. Sharing many components with the similarly sized Bentley 3 ½ litre, it too was further upgraded in 1936 when the bore of the engine was increased to 3 ½ inches giving 4,257cc and being renamed the 25/30.

Introduced in the same year as the hugely complex V12 Phantom III and built to the same exacting standards, the company certainly had its hands full. The new 25/30 was fitted with synchromesh on third and top with powerful mechanical servo brakes produced under license from Hispano-Suiza. Contemporary road tests commented on the exquisite precision of all the controls, the entire absence of mechanical noise and the uncanny smoothness of the ride – one saying that the car behaved so beautifully that it was difficult to drive badly.

This long wheelbase Rolls-Royce 25/30 chassis (GTL7) left the Derby works in June 1936 and was shipped by rail to Barker & Co (London) to be fitted with Sedanca de Ville coachwork. This was a rare body style and correspondence on file sates that only five were built on the 25/30 chassis of which perhaps three survive. Notable points are the sloping ‘B’ post and thin chrome window frames.  Gurney Nutting produced a very similar design but whether they or Barker originated the style is open to conjecture.

The first owner was a Harley Street doctor, H Thompson-Brown of Windlesham in Surrey. The second owner was an upmarket car dealer, Claude Bourgoyne, who had showrooms in the West End and counted the Duke of Windsor among his well-heeled clientele. His 1951 London parking permit is still inside the original owner's handbook.

The third owner was an architect, John Elliott of Chipstead, Surrey, who bought the car from Bourgoyne in 1958 and was to keep it right up until 1988. He employed a chauffeur to drive the car although it spent much of the time parked up in a heated garage.

It was then acquired by Robert Young of Stevenston, Ayrshire, who kept it until 2000 when he sent it to Ivor Bleaney, the well-known classic car dealer in the New Forest, from whom our vendor (the fifth owner) acquired it 23 years ago.  

The history file is substantial and shows that in 1964, following a period of inactivity, Elliott sent the car to HP Arnett & Son of Bournemouth where the engine was completely stripped and rebuilt, the mileage at this point being 49,611 (now 56,157). The rest of the car was also gone right through including replated bumpers, new exhaust sections, new door rubbers, full service etc.

In 1989, at 50,300 miles, Young sent the car to Goulds of Glasgow for a full repaint in the original Dove and Cloud Grey and to bring it up to MOT standard following many years in storage. Much of the brightwork was also replated and it seems that the engine was also overhauled once again, although the details are somewhat sketchy. Correspondence suggests that the interior may also have been professionally refurbished at around this date. 

Unlike the previous two owners, our vendor has used the car regularly, covering some 6,000 miles since 2000, including various tours around the South of France where the car has spent much of its time in recent years. Naturally he has kept it properly maintained with bills on file amounting to some £13,000 including: complete rewire; relined brakes; new king pin; new exhaust; new fuel pumps; rebuilt carburettor etc.

He has also carried out a clever modification employing an electric water pump, operated via a switch under the dash, which means that the car does not overheat, even on the hottest Mediterranean days, when the retractable front roof section really comes into its own.

Documentation includes 17 old MOTs which chart the gradual accumulation of mileage from 1965 onwards; copies of the original factory build sheets; original owner’s handbook; invoices; historic photos of the car; correspondence from previous owners etc. The big and small tools are all still present and correct.

The vendor advises that due to his advancing years and various health issues, Lavender, as she is affectionately known, has been very little used over the last five years, hence the reason for sale.

Starting instantly and running almost silently as we have moved it around on site, this rare and stately Rolls-Royce now only needs an enthusiastic sixth owner who can continue to preserve it for future generations to enjoy.

For more information contact James on 07970 309907 or email james.dennison@brightwells.com